Rubber barbell weight with at least one colored rubber belt and a method of making the same

ABSTRACT

A method of making a rubber barbell weight with as least on colored rubber belt has acts of providing at least one annular colored rubber belt, providing a mold, placing the at least one annular colored rubber belt in the mold, placing rubber raw materials in the mold, heating and pressing the mold and releasing the mold. The mold has two middle molds. Each middle mold has at least one recess formed radially in an inside wall of the mold. The annular colored rubber belt is placed into the recesses of the middle molds. The rubber raw materials are placed into the mold. Because top and bottom flanges of each recess of the middle mold limit the annular colored rubber belt only fusing with adjacent rubber raw materials, an outside surface of the annular colored rubber belt does not mix with the color of the rubber raw materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rubber barbell weight and a method of making the rubber barbell weight, especially to a rubber barbell weight with at least one annular colored rubber belt and a method of making the rubber barbell weight.

2. Description of the Prior Arts

Weightlifting is widely used to build and develop a person's muscles. Weightlifting equipment is usually a barbell. The user raises and lowers the barbell to exercise the muscles. The barbell comprises a bar and at least two weight assemblies. The bar has two ends. The weight assemblies weigh the same and are mounted respectively on the ends of the bar. Each weight assembly comprises at least one replaceable disk-shaped weight. The weight has two flat surfaces and a circular outer edge. Most conventional barbell weights are iron or another heavy metal. When the metal weight is dropped on the floor, the metal weight strikes the floor and makes a huge noise. Therefore, conventional barbell weights made of rubber have been developed to reduce the noise when the weight is dropped on the floor.

Conventional rubber weights can be made of rubber in different colors to identify the weight of each rubber weight. For example, a red rubber weight weighs 25 kg, a yellow rubber weight weighs 20 kg, a green rubber weight weighs 10 kg, a white rubber weight weighs 5 kg, etc.

With reference to FIG. 9, conventional weights are stored perpendicularly on a rack (70). Because the conventional rubber weights with different weights have different colors, a person can easily distinguish the conventional rubber weights by the colors on sides of the conventional rubber weights.

Some conventional rubber weights (80) often used to practice are black and the weights of the practice rubber weights (80) are marked respectively on flat surfaces of the practice rubber weights (80). Therefore, a person cannot distinguish the practice rubber weights (80) easily when the practice rubber weights (80) are stored perpendicularly on the rack (70). If the manufacturers form a colored rubber belt around the outer edge of a practice rubber weight plate (80), the colored rubber of the colored rubber belt and the black rubber of the practice rubber weight (80) flow together and mix when the rubbers are melted. Therefore, the color of the colored rubber belt is mixed with black to make the color difficult to distinguish.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a rubber barbell weight with at least one colored rubber belt and a method of making the rubber barbell weight to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a rubber barbell weight with at least one colored rubber belt and a method of making the rubber barbell weight. The method of making a rubber barbell weight with as least on colored rubber belt has acts of providing at least one annular colored rubber belt, providing a mold, placing the at least one annular colored rubber belt in the mold, placing rubber raw materials in the mold, heating and pressing the mold and releasing the mold. The mold has two middle molds. Each middle mold has at least one recess formed radially in an inside wall of the mold. The annular colored rubber belt is placed into the recesses of the middle molds. The rubber raw materials are placed into the mold. Because top and bottom flanges of each recess of the middle mold limit the annular colored rubber belt only fusing with adjacent rubber raw materials, an outside surface of the annular colored rubber belt does not mix with the color of the rubber raw materials. Therefore, the color of the annular colored rubber belt is clearly identified.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a method of making a rubber barbell weight with at least one colored rubber belt in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a mold used to process the method in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a colored rubber belt put into the mold in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of rubber raw materials put into the mold in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the mold in FIG. 4 when the mold is heat pressed;

FIG. 6 is a side view in partial section of the rubber barbell weight in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a mold used to process the method in FIG. 1 with two rubber color belts;

FIG. 8 is a side view in partial section of a rubber barbell weight with two colored rubber belts; and

FIG. 9 is a side view of a bracket used to hold multiple conventional weight plates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a method of making a rubber barbell weight with at least one colored rubber belt in accordance with the present invention comprises acts of providing at least one annular colored rubber belt (40), providing a mold, placing the at least one annular colored rubber belt (40) in the mold, placing rubber raw materials (50) in the mold, heating and pressing the mold and releasing the mold.

The at least one annular colored rubber belt (40) can be any color as the manufacturer desired.

The mold comprises a lower mold (10), two middle molds (20) and an upper mold (30).

The lower mold (10) is a disc and has a top surface, an annular edge, a central shaft (13), an annular shoulder (11), a cavity (12), two ears (14) and multiple positioning protrusions (111). The central shaft (13) is formed on the top surface of the lower mold (10). The annular shoulder (11) is formed on the top surface of the lower mold (10) around the lower mold (10). The cavity (12) is formed between the central shaft (13) and the annular shoulder (11). The ears (14) are formed oppositely on and extends radially from the annular edge of the lower mold (10) to fasten the lower mold (10) on a heat pressing machine. The positioning protrusions (111) are formed separately on the annular shoulder (11).

With further reference to FIG. 3 and 7, each middle mold (20) is semicircular and has a top surface, a bottom surface, an inside wall, at least one recess (21) and multiple positioning holes (22). Each recess (21) is formed radially in the inside wall of the middle mold (20) and has a top flange (211) and a bottom flange (212). The positioning holes (22) are formed separately in the bottom surface of the middle mold (20) and respectively correspond to the positioning protrusions (111) of the lower mold (10).

With further reference to FIG. 5, the upper mold (30) is a disc and has a bottom surface, a cavity (32) and a central hole (31). The cavity (32) is formed in the bottom surface of the upper mold (30) and aligns with the cavity (12) of the lower mold (10). The central hole (31) is formed through the upper mold (30) and corresponds to the central shaft (13) of the lower mold (10).

Each one of the at least one annular colored rubber belt (40) is fully mounted in the corresponding recesses (21) of the middle molds (20) between the top and bottom flanges (211, 212) of the recesses (21).

With reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 and 7, the rubber raw materials (50) are placed into the cavities (12, 32) of the lower and upper molds (10, 30) and are placed inside the at least one annular colored rubber belt (40). The middle molds (20) are attached to the shoulder (11) of the lower mold (10). The positioning holes (22) are mounted respectively around the positioning protrusions (111) of the shoulder (11) to attach the middle molds (20) to the shoulder (11). The upper mold (30) is attached to the top surface of the middle molds (20) and the central hole (31) of the upper mold (30) is mounted around the central shaft (13) of the lower mold (10).

The mold is heated and the upper mold (30) is pressed to melt the at least one annular colored rubber belt (40) and the rubber raw materials (50). Then the melted rubber raw materials (50) are fused with each other and an inside wall of each melted annular colored rubber belt (40) is fused with adjacent melted rubber raw materials (50) to combine the at least one annular colored rubber belt (40) and the rubber raw materials (50).

With further reference to FIGS. 6 and 8, after the at least one annular colored rubber belt (40) and the rubber raw materials (50) are vulcanized, the mold is released. Then the rubber barbell weight (60) with at least one annular colored rubber belt (40) in accordance with the present invention is finished. The rubber barbell weight (60) has at least two annular recesses (61) formed around an annular edge of the rubber barbell weight (60) and corresponding to the top and bottom flanges (211, 212) of the middle molds (20). Each one of the at least one annular colored rubber belt (40) is formed between corresponding two annular recesses (61).

Because the top and bottom flanges (211, 212) of the middle molds (20) keep the melted annular colored rubber belt (40) from fusing with the melted raw materials (50) in the cavities (12, 32) of the upper and lower molds (10, 30), an outside surface of the annular colored rubber belt (40) does not mix with the color of the rubber raw materials (50). Therefore, the color of the annular colored rubber belt (40) is clearly identified.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A rubber barbell weight with at least one annular colored rubber belt comprising: an annular edge; at least two recesses formed radially in the annular edge; and at least one annular colored rubber belt, and each one of the at least one annular colored rubber belt formed between corresponding two recesses.
 2. The rubber barbell weight as claimed in claim 1 having two recesses and one annular colored rubber belt.
 3. The rubber barbell weight as claimed in claim 1 having three recesses and two annular colored rubber belts.
 4. A method of making a rubber barbell weight with at least one colored rubber belt comprising acts of: providing at least one annular colored rubber belt; providing a mold, wherein the mold comprises a lower mold having a top surface; a cavity formed in the top surface of the lower mold; two middle molds attached to the top surface of the lower mold, and each middle mold being semicircular and having a top surface; an inside wall; and at least one recess, and each one of the at least one recess formed radially in the inside wall of the middle mold and having a top flange and a bottom flange; and an upper mold is attached to the top surfaces of the middle molds and having a bottom surface; and a cavity formed in the bottom surface of the upper mold and aligning with the cavity of the lower mold; placing each one of the at least one annular colored rubber belt in corresponding recesses of the middle molds between corresponding top and bottom flanges; placing rubber raw materials into the cavities of the lower and upper molds and inside the at least one annular colored rubber belt; heating and pressing the mold; and releasing the mold.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein only one annular colored rubber belt is provided at the act of placing each one of the at least one annular colored rubber belt; and each middle mold has one recess.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein two annular colored rubber belts are provided at the act of placing each one of the at least one annular colored rubber belt; and each middle mold has two recesses. 